'Just accepted an offer on this property this morning...'

[SaintGutFree]

Aaaarrrggghh!! If I hear this one more time I will scream. We have been debating moving for years, had loads of properties we were interested in that had been on for sale for up to three months. We have finally put ours up for sale and got 8 viewings already lined up but every single property we had our eyes on have sold in the last week and a half. I could cry as we can't see anything else we want

It seems though every time I contact an agent about a property, it is always the case they accepted an offer 'that morning'. Is it some kind of ploy?!?

So annoyed and worried we won't be able to find anything now.

OP I actually think the market is so crazy RN. I am in the same boat. This morning I phoned and the estate agent said they have had so many offers on the table for a house they are sorting through them this morning and acted like they couldn't even be bothered to speak to me.
I had to ask to leave my details. I'm in rented with AIP in place and a big fat cash deposit form a house sale already.
It's a nightmare isn't it.

Get registered with as many estate agents as you can, let them know exactly what you are looking for and they will contact you as soon as they have houses coming on to the market, that way you will be first in line for viewings. Don't wait to see something advertised.

Basically you need to be looking daily, and as soon as something comes up contact the agents that day.

More will come on the market shortly I think due to pent up demand, so many people were waiting for lock down to be over. It could potentially increase prices though.

Well we are actually on our 2nd buyer, the first pulled out as they decided to stay put but I am afraid there is only so long they will wait and for lots of reasons we arent able to go into rented so just got to hope it all falls into place!

I feel your pain op. We've only phoned up about two properties so far but one had been on the market for 4 months and one had been on for 2 weeks, what do you know, they both had offers put in that morning!

It’s a sellers market. Make friends with and pester the agents and they will show you stuff before it hits Rightmove. You have to be prepared to move quickly on an offer.

@PinkCookie11

Know where I live?? What they going to do exactly 😂 Do you know that’s how house buying and selling works? People get gazumped everyday! It’s part of the game unfortunately

I was gazumped once. It took me about a year to be able to walk past the place and not feel the urge to post dog poo through their letter box.

We thought we were in a fairly strong position as we didn't need to rush, we could take our time and find the right house. Now it feels like Battle Royale fight to the death situation with every other bugger looking for character properties in Warwickshire- further ahead than us bastards

@bilbodog

Dont forget that some of those houses that have recently gone under offer could return to the market if chains collapse - so hang on in there and when you do go under offer make sure the agents know you would be interested if any sales fall through.

It's awful- I'm crossing my fingers that other people's chains fall though

I had an offer on my house last week on Friday. Started calling up to view 6 houses on the Friday and Saturday. 1 we got a viewing, 1 had been taken off Rightmove because it had that much interest the sellers didn't want anymore viewings booked, and 4 others had offers either the day before on that morning. But they don't update Rightmove. In fact 2 are still showing as available a week later.

Now I can sort of understand that part of it might be to get buyers to register with the Estate Agents, but 1 Estate Agent just told me that 2 properties were no longer available as they were under offer and then said goodbye. No registering or anything.

Can't believe that this is still going on. I bought my house last summer before the stamp duty holiday. I arranged a viewing the day it was listed for the following day, and when I arrived there were already 6 offers on it!! I ended up offering 5% over asking as I didn't live in the local area and it was too much hassle going backwards and forwards to view places when this kept happening. Fortunately, I'm very happy with my house, but the whole process was incredibly stressful. I'm now glad that I didn't wait for things to calm down, as I would have ended up renting for a least another year by the sounds of it!

I'm an agent, put frankly, the market is absolutely bloody bonkers and shows no sign of slowing down bearing in mind this is the time of year we usually see it pick up anyway.

I listed a crappy one bed mid terrace a week or so ago at 10am, it had 2 viewings by 12pm and an offer by 3pm. Family houses are almost impossible to come by where I am (small town by the sea) and all that is coming on are flats, which usually take ages to sell but are being snapped up because people are seeing a business opportunity for holiday lets since we're all stay-cationing. Families want to move but are holding off putting their own home on the market because there's nothing to buy so there's a real pinch point.

Ask the agent if you can leave your details for a house that's already under offer. If it falls through I'll always contact anyone who asked me to.

I think some estate agents def leave houses as for sale on eg Rightmove when they've actually gone under offer - and then use your phone call to extract your info. It's deeply deeply tedious, the whole thing

Yup. I found mine on RM relisted a year after I bought it. The (national chain) estate agency chalked it up to an error, but I’d seen them do the same to multiple properties.

The market is absolutely crazy at the moment. Even not very nice properties are being snapped up here. Agents are slow to mark things as SSTC but honestly I think it’s just laziness rather than wanting to get you on their books when you call up at the moment. They have a bounty of eager buyers already.

@Countrylane

I think some estate agents def leave houses as for sale on eg Rightmove when they've actually gone under offer - and then use your phone call to extract your info. It's deeply deeply tedious, the whole thing.

Recruiters do this with job ads too.

I've had this recently but I do not believe a word estate agents say. I'm going to keep looking and once SD ends there will be more available

Warwickshire is moving like CRAZY. We got ours by checking three times a day and phoning the agent as soon as they came on, and most we viewed same day. The one we offered on we were third to view, and there were four after us - six of us offered, and we “won” because the seller liked us

We’re waiting for him to find somewhere now, it’s been a fortnight so far.

@icebearforpresident

How long do buyers seem ok to wait? I know it probably varies wildly, but any opinion would be gratefully received!

Also, I'm mid renovation on mine, I can't decide whether to complete it or save the money towards the deposit on a new place. I'm not sure I'd get the money back (let alone the time & effort) and I'm concerned house prices will just keep going up and I won't be able to move. (It's touch & go now tbh)

@LatteLoverLovesLattes I’m in Scotland and the system here moves much quicker anyway, albeit it’s takes longer now than it did pre-Covid, but that’s a tough question to answer. Ultimately it depends on the buyer, if they are renting and can be flexible with their date of entry then they’ll wait longer for the right house than someone who needs to be moved by a certain date they’ll be less flexible. I’ve just moved myself and my buyer was desperate to get in, we settled within 5 weeks. We could only do that because we were buying my late grandmother’s house.

It’s not realistic for everyone I know but how’s the rental market near you? Would renting while you look for something be an option? Or does anyone in the family have a house that’s really too big for them that could accommodate you? It would put you in the best possible position when it comes to offering. And if you need a mortgage, get it now, or least a decision in principle, don’t wait until you find something before you apply.

The renovations depend on what stage your at but you will never get your money back in the short term, especially if it’s major work like a new kitchen etc.

Rental market near me is ridiculous! Nothing much & what does come up is £££££. Unfortunately no friends/family with enough space to stay near here (in an emergency they'd all have me! But I wouldn't impose by choice!) Yes, kitchen needs replacing (couldn't let it out like this) and and so much more. I'm thinking about asking a landlord (with a bloke who renovated places for him) if he'd be interested.

Yes I'll need a mortgage, I'll probably use the mortgage broker I used last time, I just need to decide which way to go with this place.

I hope things go as planned with your Grandmother's house (& I'm sorry she's no longer here💐).

As others have said, it’s no use waiting until things are on websites etc, you need to strike up a relationship with the local estate agents so that you’re first through the door, have your finances sorted so you can offer straight away and get the house off the market. Our last house sold to the first person to view, before it even made it on to Rightmove etc. I also agree about making it clear that should a sale fall through you’d like a chance to step in.